Australia guide · verified 2026-07-04
Working While Studying in Australia, and Staying After
Working & staying on
Students get a meaningful part-time work allowance while studying, and Australia's real draw is the back end: the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa gives unrestricted work rights for 2 to 3 years after most Bachelors/Masters, longer for research higher degrees, opening a route into skilled migration.
Work while studying
Conditional48 hours per fortnight while the course is in session
A fortnight is any 14-day period; unlimited hours are allowed during scheduled course breaks. Masters-by-research and Doctoral students can work unlimited hours at any time once their course has started. A proposal to raise the cap to 60 hours/fortnight from 1 July 2026 has NOT been legislated as of this review, keep quoting 48 until Home Affairs confirms a change.
Post-study visa
ConditionalTemporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
Restructured from 1 July 2024: streams are now Post-Vocational Education Work, Post-Higher Education Work, and Second Post-Higher Education Work (regional). Bachelors/Masters graduates apply in the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
485 application charge
≈ AUD 5,750 (from 1 July 2026)
Like the student visa, the 485 fee has jumped repeatedly, reportedly AUD 2,300 → AUD 4,600 (1 Mar 2026) → ~AUD 5,750 (1 Jul 2026). Budget for it now as part of the full journey cost, and confirm the current charge on the Home Affairs fee schedule before the student applies (Home Affairs' fee page could not be machine-verified, treat this figure as high-confidence-pending-live-check).
485 age limit
Under 35 at time of application (most streams)
Exception: Masters-by-research and Doctoral (PhD) graduates, and Hong Kong/BNO passport holders, must be under 50. This replaced the old age-50-for-everyone rule from 1 July 2024, most Bachelors/Masters-coursework graduates are now capped at 35, not 50.
485 duration by qualification
Bachelors: up to 2 yrs · Masters (coursework): up to 2 yrs · Masters (research)/PhD: up to 3 yrs
The earlier 2-year skills-shortage extension for certain fields was discontinued from 1 July 2024, do not quote it as still available. Hong Kong/BNO passport holders get up to 5 years regardless of qualification level.
485 English requirement
IELTS 6.5 overall, minimum 5.5 in each component (or equivalent)
Raised from IELTS 6.0 overall as part of the 1 July 2024 changes. Hong Kong/BNO passport holders keep the lower IELTS 6.0/5.0 standard.
Work rights on the 485
Unlimited, no work-hour cap
Superannuation on part-time/485 earnings
ConditionalEmployer must pay 12% of ordinary earnings into a super fund
The Superannuation Guarantee (SG) rate is 12% from 1 July 2025, and it is compulsory for eligible employees regardless of visa status, a student working within the 48-hour cap, or a 485 holder working unrestricted hours, should check every payslip/fund statement to confirm the employer is actually paying it. From 1 July 2026 Home Affairs' 'payday super' reform requires employers to pay it on the same schedule as wages rather than quarterly. This money is not a bonus the employer can substitute for wages, it is paid on top of salary.
Claiming super back after leaving (DASP)
Departing Australia Superannuation Payment, claim online, no fee
Once the student/graduate visa has ceased and they have left Australia holding no other active visa, they can apply for a DASP to have accumulated super (minus tax withheld) paid out, via the ATO's free online DASP system. Payment is generally issued within 28 days of a complete application. Apply within 6 months of leaving/visa expiry, after that, unclaimed super is transferred to the ATO and the reclaim process gets more involved.
Work part-time within the fortnightly cap
ConditionalStudents may work up to 48 hours per fortnight while classes are in session, unlimited during breaks. Typical jobs: retail, hospitality, campus roles, tutoring. Keep a personal log of hours if working multiple jobs, the cap is a total across all employers, and breaching it risks the visa.
Apply for the 485 promptly after finishing the course
ConditionalCheck eligibility against the current age cap (35, or 50 for Masters-by-research/PhD) and the study requirement (generally at least 2 academic years of CRICOS-registered study in Australia). Lodge while the student visa is still valid or within the permitted window after course completion, do not let the student visa lapse first.
When: As soon as course completion is confirmedUse the 485 window to build toward skilled migration
With unrestricted work rights for 2 to 3 years, graduates can accrue the skilled work experience and (if relevant) state nomination needed for the General Skilled Migration program (subclass 189/190/491) or employer sponsorship. Point STEM, health, and other in-demand-occupation graduates at the current Skilled Occupation List early, since eligible occupations change.
Check superannuation is being paid on every payslip, then claim it back (DASP) after leaving
ConditionalAny eligible employee, a student on the 48-hour cap or a 485 holder working unrestricted hours, should be getting 12% of ordinary earnings paid into a super fund by the employer, on top of wages. This is easy for a first-time worker to miss, since it doesn't show up in take-home pay. After the student/graduate visa ends and the person has left Australia (holding no other active visa), they can claim the accumulated balance back as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) through the ATO's free online system, ideally within 6 months of leaving, before it's swept into ATO-held unclaimed monies.
When: Check payslips throughout any part-time/485 job; lodge the DASP claim after leaving Australia
Sources
- Student visa (subclass 500), work condition (48 hours/fortnight), Study Australia (Australian Government / Department of Education)
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), guide for students, Study Australia (Australian Government / Department of Education)
- Temporary Graduate visa, Subclass 485, Department of Home Affairs
- Changes to the Temporary Graduate visa program, from 1 July 2024, Department of Home Affairs
- Migration (English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visas) Instrument 2025, Federal Register of Legislation, Australia
- Super guarantee, key rates and thresholds, Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- Departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP), Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
Where this fits
This is one step of the full Australia journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on Australia
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.